Fluorometers have a wide variety of uses. By way of example, and not to limit the scope of the invention, fluorometers are used to measure chlorophyll fluorescence to investigate plant physiology and in the dairy industry to verify whether pasteurization has been successful.
In some fluorometry applications, there may be a light source that is pulsed. The fluorescence of an external object may vary depending on the application of the light source. For example, and not to limit the scope of the invention, the fluorescence of an external object may be strong when the light pulse is on, and less strong when the light pulse is off. As a further example, and not meant to limit the invention, when plants are grown with one or more electrically powered lights, it may be desirable to pulse the light source. In all applications using a pulsed light, it is useful to be able to measure and thereby understand the fluorescence at all phases of the pulsed light. Existing fluorometers do not have that capability. Among other advantages, and not meant to be limiting, the present invention provides that capability.